Alterations of Destiny
by Tauria
Summary: AU. Both the human and the dragon knew something was supposed to happen that night. But it did not. Destiny had been altered. But it would be back on course soon enough.
1. Prologue: Altered

**Tauria: **I came up with this idea in school a couple days ago, and wrote the prologue in my notebook. The title is subject to change, but I hope you enjoy anyway! This is my first HTTYD fic that is _not _a oneshot, so I do hope you like it!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own HTTYD.

* * *

**Alterations of Destiny**

_Tauria_

**Prologue: Altered**

_This is Berk. _**  
**

_It snows nine months out of the year, and hails the other three. We have a lovely view of the sunsets most days, but on others? Let's just say that Berk has a major pest problem. And not with your normal mice or bugs... No, we have **dragons**. _

_._

"You're late," the blacksmith informed his young apprentice.

"Sorry," the young man said indifferently. "I almost got killed just _getting_ here." he tied the strings to his blacksmith's apron, and began to help the older 'smith create, hand out, and repair the weapons within the shop.

"Maybe if you would eat a bit more meat..." Gobber suggested, looking over the younger blacksmith's thin un-Viking like body.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Tried that."

.

_All different types of dragons. Gronckles, Deadly Nadders, Zipplebacks, Terrible Terrors, Monstrous Nightmares... You name it, we probably have seen it at some point in Berk. _

_One day, I will join the ranks of the others, and kill a dragon. Not your average dragon before. I will kill the one no one has ever seen... The Night Fury. This dragon never steals food, never shows itself, and never misses it's target. A dark shape, a scream, a flash of blue lighting, and then something is on fire. That is the only way one can tell if a Night Fury is within the ranks of the dragons. _

_One day, I will kill one. I will prove to my tribe that I am most definitely **not **useless... **  
**_

_I will finally be one of them._

_._

"Sharpen this axe," Gobber told the boy, handing him what seemed to be a small ax within his hands, but when given to Hiccup, the teenager nearly fell under it's weight.

However, somehow he made it over to the grinding stone, where he began to sharpen the ax. As he did so, his Viking peers caught his short attention span.

One in particular, really.

Astrid Hofferson, Viking prodigy. All of the other teens (males included) wanted to be like her. She was strong, smart, quick on her feet, and everything a Viking should be.

She also just happened to be the crush of Hiccup... and his cousin, Snotlout.

As he watched them, he soon became aware of a sharp pain in his thumb. Glancing down, he was reminded of the fact he was sharpening an ax, and one must be careful when handling weapons.

.

_The only problem with achieving my goal? See, I am only allowed out during raids if I'm doing something for Gobber, or heading to the blacksmith's shop. Beyond that? I'm supposed to stay inside 'for my safety'. However, everybody knows it's more for the safety of the village then anything. _

_I probably won't even be allowed in dragon training. I'm too clumsy, and very un-Viking-like according to everyone in the village. _

_But if I am given a chance, I **know **that I can prove myself to the village. _

.

"Hiccup, man the fort. I've got dragons 'ta kill." and the blacksmith left.

Sighing, Hiccup looked longingly over at his invention, wishing he could take it out into the fight. But there were too many dragons out tonight, and there was sure to be a Viking who would tell his father. And he was already in enough trouble as it was.

He kept up a reasonable pace, passing out weapons, repairing the ones he was given, and giving them back.

And then it wasn't long until the other smith was back in the smithy.

.

_I feel like something important will happen tonight. I just know that tonight something completely life-altering will happen. I don't know how, but I've learned to trust gut feelings. _

_I don't know what it will be. _

_I don't know if it will be a Viking-like thing. _

_But I know it will be good._

_My name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. I am the only child of Stoick the Vast, chief of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe - whom legend says tore a dragons head clean off when he was a baby. _

_I believe that whole-heartedly. _

_Unfortunately, that means I have a lot to live up to. Another reason I have to kill a Night Fury. It's the only way to convince my tribe - and my father - that I am not a complete failure... That I am not completely useless. That I am worthy to be the next chief of Berk. _

_I've always been a disappointment. Now that I am nearing adulthood, it's time for me to step up. _

_Berk **needs **a chief to be proud of. _

* * *

With trained eyes, the blackish blue Night Fury watched the battle unfold. It was a fight between human and dragon tonight, like almost every night. The Night Fury did not always participate, for he was not under _her _control, but tonight, he felt like something important was going to happen.

The Night Fury did not steal food, he did not eat humans. He fires shots on the occasion, sure, but only to give the other dragons the appearance of being one of them, so he was not attacked. He may have been _the _Night Fury, but he couldn't take on a whole army of dragons by himself!

This fighting is senseless, in his honest opinion.

He doesn't understand _why _they fight.

Why can humans and dragons not work together? Or at least be content to leave each other alone?

He supposed the answer was because this was originally a 'quick' way to get food for their queen (whom they all hated, the Night Fury noted) until the humans figured out how to fight back. Then it became a fight. Then a quest for revenge. And now a full out war.

Despite his aversions to the war, he knew something was going to happen.

Something _big_.

* * *

Both the human and the dragon were correct. Something was supposed to happen.

However, it did not.

And so they were wrong.

Nothing happened that night.

But destiny would bring itself back on course soon enough.

* * *

**Tauria: **I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review! XD


	2. Chapter One: Dragon Training Begins

**Tauria: **I'm not too happy about this chapter, but I wanted it up before bedtime, so I rushed the ending. I hope you enjoy it anyway!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own HTTYD.

* * *

**Alterations of Destiny**

_Tauria_**  
**

**Chapter One: Dragon Training Begins**_  
_

Hiccup woke the next morning, exhausted, sore, and severely disappointed. The boy had hoped that _something _would happen. He had been so sure that his fate would change that night, but it hadn't. Nothing had gone according to what he had felt within his heart. He had relied on his gut, like a true Viking would have, and look where that had gotten him. Severely disappointed. Just like always.

Hiccup sighed, kicking a pebble out of his way as he headed to the blacksmith's shop. Why couldn't anything ever go his way? He was always the misfit... Always the Viking who wasn't a Viking. He wouldn't be able to kill dragons; he wouldn't be able to be a proper chief for Berk; Astrid would never throw him a second glance...

Why could he have just been _right _for once? He knew that there was some other purpose the gods had intended for him; he could feel it. Even if his gut feelings were always wrong, there was nothing wrong with a little hope every now and again, right? It was all the boy had to cling to.

He was a disappointment to his father.

The whole village thought he was freak... A walking disaster just waiting to happen.

He was just a toothpick to the dragons.

His peers looked down on him.

The only person in the world who didn't think he was a waste of air was Gobber the Belch, the blacksmith he had been apprenticed to since he was six.

He could actually create good - and useful - things in the shop. He could actually be _useful _to the tribe. _  
_

And Gobber actually listened to the lad. He gave good advice as well. Or he gave a sarcastic insult, which Hiccup was quick to return. The blacksmith was more of 'father' then Stoick the Vast, that was for sure.

Being so deep in thought, the young boy tripped over a stone that jutted unevenly out of the ground. Falling straight into the mud, he heard the cruel laughter of his cousin Snotlout, and Snotlout's best friend, Tuffnut. Trying not to show how troubled he was, the fourteen year old put on his usual poker face, and stood, wiping the mud off his face.

"Good morning," the boy said, pretending he had only just noticed them.

"Morning Hiccup the _Useless_," Snotlout responded.

They were too young to actually have Viking names, but that didn't stop them from giving them to one another. This was Hiccup's current name. It had been since he was around seven or eight.

"Where were you last night?" Tuffnut sneered. "Things were kinda boring without you screwing everything up!"

Hiccup just rolled his eyes. "I was needed in the smithy." was all he said, before he continued on his way to the blacksmith's shop, wiping off strands of grass and lingering mud on his way. However, the two boys followed him all the way to the shop, asking stupid questions and hurling insults the entire time. It took all of Hiccup's self control to continue his steady pace without running ahead like old instinct still screamed.

Finally, the heavenly sight of the blacksmith's shop came into view, and Hiccup could relax some. After an incident two years ago, the two bullies had learned to stop following him after passing one of the houses by the shop. Gobber didn't like his apprentice's being harassed... Not one bit.

Entering the shop, he hefted up one of the weapons in the sharpening corner, and headed towards the grindstone. He was about to put it to the stone when it was lifted out of his hands.

"And wha' do ya think _you're _doin'?" Gobber asked the teenager.

"Sharpening the ax... Like I'm supposed to," the boy said confusedly.

"I think you're father wants ta speak with ya this morning," the older Viking replied, beginning to sharpen the ax himself.

"But..."

"No buts. He's waitin' in the Mead Hall for ya."

Sighing, the fourteen year old trudged up the hill towards the large Mead Hall at the top. Entering, he spotted his father at one of the tables. He sat across from him. "Gobber said you had something you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes. The tribe and I are going on another journey to find the nest... The last one before th' ice sets in. While I'm gone... Gobber is puttin' you in Dragon Training."

Hiccup nearly choked on the drink he had taken a swig of. "What?! _Me_? In _Dragon_ Training? Are you _crazy_?!"

"No. It's about time you learned how to fight dragons, especially if you are going to be Berk's next chief."

Hiccup swallowed. though his mouth was empty. His throat felt strangely dry. Something about this was wrong... Something was missing. "A-are you sure?"

"Yes. You'll start tomorrow, with the other Vikings."

* * *

And that is how Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III ended up behind the four other Viking teenagers in what the Vikings had affectionately called the 'Kill Ring'. Gobber stood before them.

The other Vikings (well, mainly Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Snotlout) were talking about what kinds of scars they wanted to get. Astrid remained quiet, like she always did around Hiccup. Hiccup was also quiet. The others (aside from Astrid and Gobber) hadn't even noticed he was there yet.

"Today begins your first day of Dragon Training. You will be taught the basics of fighting and killing dragons. You will memorize which dragons are more dangerous, and the shot limits of each. Today, we will be starting with the Gronckle."

And much to Hiccup and the other teen's shock, Gobber then opened one of the many doors, letting loose a brownish-green dragon, that looked like a flying boulder.

Gobber had somehow moved outside of the ring, leaving the five Viking teens inside with it.

"What is the first thing you'll need?"

"Plus one hundred speed?" Fishlegs questioned, narrowly dodging the dragon.

"A shield!" Astrid said firmly.

"Correct. If you must choose between a sword and a shield, choose the shield."

Each Viking grabbed a shield, though Hiccup had some difficulties. And before he knew it, the twins were out, Fishlegs was out, Snotlout was out, and the dragon was headed straight towards him! Gobber finished his lesson by saving Hiccup, and giving the class one final instruction.

"Dragons always, _always _go for the kill."

* * *

A few days later, Hiccup had still not improved in Dragon Training. Stoick was still gone, and Hiccup's social standing had most definitely not improved. He wished his father had never made the decision to put him in dragon training. He had tried asking Gobber if he could get out of it, but the older man had stubbornly refused, saying it was what his father wanted.

Currently, Hiccup was pouring over the Dragon Handbook, as Gobber had instructed. He had never gotten to read it before, as some other Viking teen always had it (presumably just to keep it from him, as Snotlout and the twins had never even read the thing.

After spending a few hours pouring through the book, Hiccup finally decided it was time to go to bed.

Along the way, however, a massive fireball blocked his path towards the chiefs house. He groaned.

_'Dragons... again.' _

__He raced towards the blacksmith's shop, noting the short supply of adult Vikings, and the massive amount of dragons.

The other teens had also gathered at the shop.

Gobber gave the teen a welcoming nod. "Alright... We have a short supply of Vikings, and surplus of dragons... therefore, the five of you will test your skills in tonight's attack. Be careful." He handed them their weapons.

The five teens were then sent in the field.

* * *

**Tauria: **I will probably go and edit this later, but here's the first chapter XD I hope you enjoyed! Please drop me a review!


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